Mountain Valley Retreat Center

History of Ozark Lithia Camp

On Friday, May 4, 1945, the Arkansas District Council purchased the facilities of the Ozark Lithia Hotel, which included 320 acres of land on Highway 7 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. At that time, Highway 7 was just a gravel road running past the hotel.

Re-named the Ozark-Lithia campground, an open-air tabernacle was added for camps, camp meetings, and other services. Cars passing on the gravel road created so much dust during the meetings, the people petitioned the Governor of Arkansas to have the road black-topped.

Included on the original grounds were two buildings--the actual hotel, and a dining hall. The hotel was a three-story building used for cooking and serving meals. In the hotel itself was a large banister that children would slide down backwards--until they got in trouble for doing so!

A concrete swimming pool was located across the creek, where the pond is today. During several renovations, contractors discovered several natural hot springs. Also located on the grounds were several cabins. These were leased out for 100 year lease options to help raise funds for the campground. 

The dining hall was a two-story building which housed South Central Bible College after its inception in 1948. This college merged with Central Bible Institute in 1952, which later became Central Bible College, now a part of Evangel University, in Springfield, Missouri.

The first youth camps were held in 1953 with Rev. Joe Higgins as director. That year, there were two camps, one for the boys, and one for the girls. Activities included softball, badminton, and shuffleboard. After campers were asleep, the counselors also enjoyed a game of shuffleboard, and had a time of fellowship.

Since church vans were not around in those days, many kids were dropped off by their parents on Sunday nights, and stayed until Saturday morning. Sunday night was a time of fellowship, but if the campers stayed over to Saturday, they were put to work cleaning, and had to eat camp leftovers.

The three-story Ozark Lithia Hotel building that was built around 1880, was torn down in 1960 to make way for a new dormitory that would better serve the growing number of campground guests. Superintendent G. W. Hardcastle said, “This building will be strictly fireproof, and as nearly storm-proof as a building can be made. The constructing of this building is the greatest improvement ever made on our camp grounds and I feel that each of us should be very happy about the improvement.” The construction of the new two-story dormitory was led by Madison J. Groves, the Vice-President of the District Men’s Fellowship and completed for just $68,575.53. The dormitory was completed just in time for Kids Kamp in July of 1961. The dormitory was named the David Burris Hall, in honor of the former District Superintendent.

The original wooden open-air Tabernacle was torn down in 1967, and construction of a new air conditioned auditorium. The new auditorium was dedicated on the first day of District Council, May 7, 1968. This was a major upgrade to the campground facilities and this building served its purpose until 2002, when a more modern auditorium was built. The current auditorium was dedicated in 2003.

Over the years there have been many renovations and additions, including a tabernacle, dorms, cafeteria, gymnasium, pond, go-cart track,  swimming pool, and upgraded housing for directors and workers.

"I am so glad to see the new improvements," said Rev. E. Joe Wilmoth, former superintendent of the Arkansas district. In honor of Brother Wilmoth's service to the district, and his love for the campers and the campground, and his work to improve the facilities, the large dorm, dedicated in 1998, was named the E. Joe Wilmoth dormitory.

The newest dorm facility was completed at the end of 2015 and in 2021 was named the Larry and Judy Moore Dorm.